Proper Use Of Painkillers

When painkillers mask the pain and cause you to be more active than your joint is ready for, you can prolong symptoms. This only makes things worse. It is understandable that people need relief from pain and help going to sleep. If you are using them to get through the day and to help keep you active, then you are going to cause further injury.

The way painkillers work is to numb the nerve receptors that tell your brain that there is pain in a specific area. Pain is your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. When these signals are ignored or masked, your limp will go away--you wil continue along with your day as if nothing was wrong--and when the painkillers wear off, you'll notice that you're in more pain than you were before you took them. This is a clear indication that throughout the day more damage has been done to the affected area.

There are two main categories of commonly used pain relievers, they are acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Picking the right pain reliever may be a daunting task as there are so many choices.

Figure 1 - "Reduce pain by reducing inflammation"

NSAIDs

NSAIDs ease pain, lower fever, and reduce inflammation. They can be very helpful for pain and inflammation related conditions such as arthritis. NSAIDs have been known to cause stomach ulcers as they are very hard on your stomach, and have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Anemia--where the blood is unable to carry enough oxygen around your body, causing shortness of breath and tiredness, has also been frequently noted. NSAIDs are also very taxing on the kidneys.

Figure 2 - "Ease pain but not inflammation"

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen eases pain and fever but does not target inflammation. Painkillers, like Tylenol (acetaminophen), have a barrage of side effects that become more frequent the more they are used. Some of the more common issues that arise when taking Tylenol are that your liver has a hard time breaking down the drug, and frequent use of Tylenol has been found to be a common factor in liver failure.

Liver and Kidneys

The liver has many functions but the main function of the liver is that it metabolizes alcohol, drugs and foreign chemicals. Its function is to neutralize and destroy poisonous substances. The body--because pain pills are man-made chemicals not occuring naturally in nature--treats all pain pills as poisonous substances. This is why it's dangerous to take pain pills on a regular basis, the liver will work constantly with no rest.

The purpose of the kidney is to purify the blood and keep it clean. The clean blood is circulated through the body and the waste is discarded as urine.

Figure 4 - "Only take in periods of rest so you won't harm yourself unknowingly"

When To Take Pain Pills

Pain pills should only be taken during periods of rest where there is no chance of re-injury happening without being able to feel it. Pain pills aren't designed to help you get through the day, so you can't feel the pain--pain pills are meant to help deal with the pain after having a long day and sitting down on the couch, or getting ready for bed. During periods of rest is when they should be taken, so that there is no chance of damaging yourself further.